(a) Field
The subject matter disclosed generally relates to a vision based systems for detecting distress behavior.
(b) Related Prior Art
There is a need for a mechanism which allows for monitoring people, especially the elderly, for detecting a situation of distress and performing some call for help.
Attempts have been made to address this problem. The most basis systems use video surveillance and require another person to continuously watch the video stream at a remote location to report and/or perform the call for help when a distress situation occurs. However, this system is impractical for several reasons including costs, privacy and accuracy. In particular, the costs associated with hiring a person who is performing the watching. Additionally, there are privacy issues associated with these systems because many people feel uncomfortable to be constantly watched by someone in the privacy of their home. The accuracy is the last but not the least of the problems because when the person is watching constantly, it is very easy to miss an event especially if the monitored person is sitting or sleeping and suffers, e.g., a sudden heart attack.
Other systems require the monitored person to carry some sort of device including a button which when pressed triggers a call for help or the intervention of someone. These systems have their limitations too because often when the distress condition occurs the person would no longer have the ability or power to press the button. These devices are not possible to use with people having mental illnesses or memory problems.
Therefore, there remains a need in the market for a monitoring system which addresses the above noted problems.